


Walking The Long Road

by Spooberdem



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Infinity War (2018), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Stucky fic, Wakanda, also please bear with my shitty dialogue, edging into crackfic at times, i hope this isn't bad, idk - Freeform, just go with it please, kind of slow burn i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-29 18:31:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15735030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spooberdem/pseuds/Spooberdem
Summary: This is the story of Bucky's recovery in Wakanda, and documents the rekindling of friendship, or maybe something else, between Bucky Barnes and Steve Rogers.Takes place after Black Panther, showing the two-year gap between Civil War and Infinity War.





	1. Locked Away In Permanent Slumber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This is my first multichapter fic, so this first bit will be fairly short. All mistakes or errors are my own. Enjoy!

The first day stings the most.

After finally getting him back into his life, after Siberia, when his best friend finally remembers everything, Bucky's once again wrenched away from Steve, confined to the artificial slumber where he's spent the last 90-something years. After all the hope that their relationship could be healed, Bucky's gone again, a rope dangling just out of Steve's reach.  
It hurts.

The first day Steve spends in the lab, sitting on a chair beside Bucky's cryo tank. His friend's face isn't quite peaceful, as it normally is when Bucky is resting. Cryostasis isn't sleep, exactly, and after all the years as Hydra's captive it won't be a pleasant experience, no matter how much better Wakanda is from Siberia.

It stings, and it's painful, for Steve to know that his only link to his own time is just on the other side of the glass, and yet so far away. He has a companion, and yet he's the loneliest person in the world, all at once. Maybe the edge would wear off sooner if Bucky weren't right in front of Steve, but he can't leave in the tank, alone. Not yet. Not again.

The lab workers left him a chair. All day, Steve sits by Bucky's side, looking through the frosted glass and wondering when he'll really get to see him again. Can his friend sense him? Does he have some level of consciousness in cryo? Steve has no idea, he'll have to ask someone. At least, he doesn't remember anything during his seventy years in the ice.

Sam comes to see him, later that evening. Steve hasn't left the lab all day, has barely stood up from his chair, and Sam updates him on the outside world as he scarfs down the dinner his friend brought.  
'Nat got her ass beat today,' Sam comments, grinning. 'These Wakandan ladies know how to fight. That general girl, Okoye, I think? She's mean with a spear.' Steve smiles, just a little. Okoye must be an extraordinary fighter to beat a Red Room trained Black Widow.

Steve's prepared to spend the night in the lab with a blanket and pillow, but Sam convinces him to return to his room. 'He'll be safe here,' he insists, but it's not for Bucky's security that Steve is reluctant to go anymore. Even though he'll be on the same street, the thought of leaving his best friend behind, even for just a few hours, is excruciating.

To call Steve's living space a 'room' would be an understatement. It's more of a gigantic, one-room apartment in the royal palace, tastefully decorated to reference African cultures while still appearing modern. The view is spectacular, overlooking the whole of Birnin Zana, alive with the night life of the city. The apartment is just another item on a list of things that Steve will have to thank T'Challa for later. The king has really outdone himself.

The first two weeks after the Raft breakout, three weeks after Germany, were spent in hiding, running from safehouse to safehouse, all of them old, abandoned and not particularly comfortable. Most of the locations were only meant for three, maybe four people at a time, and in Steve's party was Bucky, Sam, Nat, Scott, Wanda and Clint. Scott and Clint, the only two Avengers with families, had eventually given themselves up to the government under conditions of house arrest, but they had never betrayed where the rest of the fugitives were.

Steve had been hiding in New York when he got the call from T'Challa. Within a few hours of hanging up, a Wakandan jet had safely and smoothly transported them to Birnin Zana. The king was taking a huge risk for both himself and his country, harboring five international fugitives, and yet he had the audacity to apologize to Steve.  
'The period after Vienna was… difficult,' T'Challa explained. 'We had a long-lost relative who came to Wakanda with hostile intentions, and we could not begin to find you until after the dust had settled.' It was kindness enough, allowing all of them to remain in Wakanda, but here Steve was living in some prime real estate. Sam, Nat and Wanda are also on the same floor, and their living quarters are also on the same level of grandeur.

Unfortunately, no comfortable bed can ward away the nightmares. Steve wakes in the morning drenched in sweat, his dreams filled with memories of battle, of Bucky, falling from the train. Nothing has ever made the flashbacks go away, and he's not sure if anything ever will.

The clock reads 6:00 am. Steve could sleep in as long as he wants, now that he's not running from anything anymore, but he wants to get back to Bucky. As he walks out his door, Steve selects a few books at random from the impressive shelves of literature lining an entire wall. Might as well do something while he's camped out at the lab.

The dining hall contains three other people: T'Challa, Okoye and Wanda, who's still in her pajamas with dark circles ringing her eyes. Steve knows the look well enough to discern that she's been having nightmares too. He takes a seat beside her and squeezes her hand. She smiles a bit, then goes back to half-heartedly picking at her breakfast.

Much of the food at the table is native to Africa, but the king has made sure to include some traditional Western breakfast foods as well, T'Challa sits at the head of the table, eating some sort of purple pear-shaped fruit.  
'Did you sleep well, Captain?' he inquires politely. Steve shrugs as he reaches for a massive platter of scrambled eggs. 'As well as I could,' he replies. The king nods in acknowledgement, then goes back to eating his food silently. Steve settles back to enjoy his food. Small talk was never his forte, and no one at the table seems to enjoy it either.

He's just polishing off a serving of fruit salad when a new face enters the dining hall. She's Wakandan, but dressed in clothing that wouldn't be out of place on a New York street, not the more traditional garments that everyone here seems to favor. If Steve had to guess, he'd place her around sixteen or seventeen. The girl pauses beside T'Challa and whispers something in his ear while pointing to Steve. The king nods, and watches as she walks up to Steve. 'Princess Shuri. Nice to meet you, Captain Rogers.'  
'Please, just call me Steve,' he replies, extending a hand in greeting. To his surprise, Shuri doesn't shake it but fistbumps it instead, taking a seat two chairs down from his own position. 'Alright, just call me Shuri then,' she shrugs. 'None of that 'your Highness' crap, please.' She dumps an alarming amount of syrup on a stack of well, not just pancakes, but everything, and tucks in.

'My sister will be leading the procedure to heal Sergeant Barnes,' T'Challa informs him from the head of the table. 'Shuri is a science genius, and she created most of the technology Wakanda uses. I assure you, your friend will be in the safest hands possible.' Steve studies the teen as she stuffs her face unabashedly. All the women in Wakanda are stronger and wiser than their appearances would suggest, and the princess is likely no exception, judging by T'Challa's description of her. Within a few minutes, Shuri has somehow reduced everything on her plate to a few crumbs, standing up with an awful squeal as her chair slides across the stone floor. Her brother winces.

'If you're done,' she gestures to him, then to the door, 'let's head to the lab, shall we?' Steve gets up with a last wave to T'Challa and Wanda, and follows the princess out of the palace.

As the two of them walk through the mostly deserted city streets, Shuri talks him through the healing procedure. 'We have a series of highly sophisticated bio-scanners here,' she informs Steve. 'I'll be using them to create a digital incarnation of Barnes' mind. From there, we can experiment with that copy to erase the Hydra's programming, without causing potential long-term damage to his brain.'

'It may take days, weeks or even several months,' Shuri continues, 'but with enough work and time we will be able to abolish whatever Hydra put into his head. It maybe painful for him sometimes, when we actually begin the mental process, and it may comfort him to see a familiar face during the procedures.' Shuri looks at Steve meaningfully. 'Of course I'll be there,' he assures her. He wouldn't dream of leaving Bucky to go through this rehabilitation alone.  
'Great!' Shuri pauses at a set of doors to their left. They've arrived at the labs. After a machine scans her kimoyo beads, the doors open with a whoosh of cool air, and princess and soldier walk into the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I'll try to update as often as possible, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything.
> 
> Comments and creative criticism are welcome. Once again, thanks for reading!


	2. If You Wanna Start A Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so in all honesty, this is a filler chapter. However, it's a real proper length one, so please, bear with my shitty writing.
> 
> I've changed a few minor things in the first chapter to make better sense of the timeline.
> 
> Author's Note: This story is set several weeks after the events of Black Panther. It didn't look like Black Panther was more than a week after Civil War, so I doubted T'Challa could've brought Steve to Wakanda during that time.
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

The lab is quiet, save for the beeping of several machines as Steve and Shuri enter. Despite the fact that it’s only 7:00 something in the morning, a small team of people are already working diligently, measuring serums, studying diagnostics and who knows what. Giant windows lining one wall overlook a small cliff, grassland stretching out below. It’s more open and less secretive than many western facilities. 

Bucky’s in the same position in his tank as yesterday, but Steve is still relieved to see him again. There’s a bit of stubble on his friend’s jaw, and Steve wonders if it’s possible to grow a beard in cryostasis. Shuri walks over to the screen beside the tank and taps a few buttons, bringing up Bucky’s file. Steve stares at the name she’s given the Winter Soldier.

‘Sad Trash Hobo?’ he reads aloud. ‘Seriously?’ Shuri shrugs, not taking her eyes off the monitor. ‘Why not?’ she asks. Steve rolls his eyes, and she sighs. ‘Fine, I’ll change it.’ Shuri grumbles. A few clicks of the keyboard, and Bucky’s title instead reads ‘Sad Broken White Boy.’  
Steve gives up on the argument.

‘We will begin scanning Bucky's brain today,’ Shuri explains, turning to Steve. ‘It will take maybe two days, even with my technology. This will be the most detailed scan we’ve had to make before. For the actual removal of the Hydra programming, we will be transporting him to my private lab, in the vibranium mines.’ The princess points out the lab window, and Steve follows her hand to a shining triangle-shaped structure on a distant mountain.

‘My lab will have a quieter atmosphere for Bucky to recover in,’ Shuri says. ‘And it is more remote, so if something goes wrong, if the programming snaps back...’ She has enough grace not to finish that statement. Steve doesn’t want to be reminded of what Bucky is capable of when programmed with a mission. A Super-Soldier could wreak havoc on Wakanda, with the level of tech available here.

‘It’s just a precaution,’ Shuri assures him hastily. ‘And I highly doubt anything will happen. But the main reason for the transport is to make sure that Barnes isn’t too scared when he wakes up.’ Steve watches in silence as two lab attendants drag over a large white machine on wheels, somewhat like a vertical CAT scanner cut in half. 

The apparatus fits around most of the cryo tank, leaving only Bucky’s dark hair for Steve to see. He liked Bucky’s hair when it was short, back in the 40’s. With it now reaching down past his jaw, Steve reluctantly agrees with Shuri that yeah, it kinda makes him look like a hobo. The princess adjusts a few settings on the side of the scanner, then motions to Steve as a hissing noise fills the room.  
‘You might want to step outside,’ she says. ‘It’s going to get kinda loud in here.’ Steve nods, and exits the lab as a loud beep issues through the building.

Natasha is waiting on the street with two cups of coffee. She hands one to Steve, and they walk down the street as he gulps the drink, letting the warmth run down his throat.  
‘So,’ Nat breaks the silence after a few minutes, ‘How are you feeling?’ Steve gives a half-hearted shrug in response. ‘They’re starting the brain scan today. It’ll take a couple days.’ Nat gives him a stern look. ‘I said how are you feeling, not Bucky.’

Steve shakes his head. Nat’s never put up with any of his bullshit. ‘I don’t know,’ he says finally, after a few moments of silence. ‘Getting him back to lose him for another few months is almost worse than not seeing him at all.’ Natasha nods. ‘You miss him, but in the long run, this’ll be better. Bucky’ll be able to live an easier life without the fear of suddenly going off and hurting someone.’ Steve doesn’t respond, doesn’t tell her that Bucky’s already hurting him with every hour he spends away, in that cryo tank.

Nat sees his face, then brightens. ‘Come on, you big dummy,’ she says, grabbing him by the arm and dragging him back the way they came. ‘You need to take your mind off of Bucky. We’re going to see the Dora Milaje.’

 

Every morning, Wakanda’s elite train to keep up their skills. It’s generally peaceful nation with not a lot of unrest, so forced practice is necessary to make sure that their fighting is up to par. 

The Dora Milaje are assembled on a large palace terrace. It’s a gorgeous place to be, overlooking Birnin Zana while the sun rises over distant mountains. Two of them are sparring in the center of a ring while the others gather to watch. Natasha and Steve sidle up beside Ayo, Okoye’s second in command. She ignores them and studies the fighting pair critically. All the women that make up the Dora, about twenty or thirty, are so skilled that watching them fight is almost like a dance, Steve muses.

He finds it interesting that despite the technology that Wakanda possesses, all the Dora still use spears. Vibranium ones that can shoot sonic bolts, but still. Combining tradition with the modern age, like everything else in this amazing country.

Neither woman in the ring seems to be able to get the upper hand. All the warriors are so evenly matched, at such a high skill level that neither can win against the other. After a few more minutes of this, Okoye finally yells, ‘Enough!’ The Dora lower their spears and return to the others circling the edge of the ring.

The general notices Steve and Natasha observing the training. ‘Miss Romanoff,’ Okoye calls out. ‘Would you like to try a second round?’ A few of the Dora chuckle. Apparently yesterday’s fight had been something worth seeing. Steve notices Nat wince slightly. ‘No thanks,’ she replies. ‘I know when I’m beat.’ The Widow’s somewhat humble expression turns to a smirk. ‘But why don’t you let my friend here try?’ Before Steve can protest, Natasha pushes him into the center of the ring.

Okoye is wearing an amused expression. ‘Do you think you are up to our standards, Captain?’ Steve turns in a circle, but the gap to escape is closed and now he's trapped. Nat waves her hand in a go on gesture. ‘I’ll do my best,’ he returns. The general studies the group of women. ‘Majda,’ she chooses. One of the warriors steps into the circle as Ayo tosses her spear to Steve. 

The spear is surprisingly light, light enough that if use it like a normal staff weapon you’ll end up stabbing yourself. Steve grips the weapon, sliding into a fighting stance. He’s used spears a handful of times, but he’s rusty, and he doubts this match will last long.

Steve studies his opponent. Majda is shorter than he is, and lighter, but she uses a spear every day while he normally uses his shield. Not that the shield would help him right now; in the outside world vibranium is rare but in Wakanda, everything is made of the stuff and Majda’s spear would probably cut right through it.

Okoye yells something in Xhosa, and Majda leaps forward, bringing the golden staff down on his head. Steve blocks the blow just in time, and then she’s going for his legs. She’s moving fast, faster than he can formulate a defense plan, and after not more than a minute she’s knocked Steve down onto the floor.

Steve groans, she sent him flying, but he pushes himself back onto his feet. ‘Round two?’ Majda asks, and even though he’s not looking at the warrior Steve can hear her smirking. He looks up and crouches back to a fighting stance. ‘I could do this all day.’

Steve fares a little better this time around, even manages to land a blow on the Dora with the flat of the spearhead, but inevitably Majda knocks him flat on his ass again. After getting back up, Nat pulls him aside. ‘You can’t win,’ she stage-whispers so everyone can hear. ‘Quite now while you’re behind, Gryffindor.’ Steve has no idea what the nickname means, but he shakes Nat’s hand off his shoulder and turns to face Majda again, determined to prove her wrong.

Five painful rounds later, Steve realizes that Natasha’s right, he can’t beat a Dora Milaje, at least not with a spear. He drops the staff onto the ground, raising his hands in surrender. ‘Fine, you win,’ he concedes good-naturedly. All the Dora around him clap, and Majda bows politely. ‘Perhaps all you need is a little more practice,’ she tells Steve. ‘It’s difficult to fight with such a light weapon, and you did better than most people on their first try.’ He accepts her praise with a nod, and returns to the border of the circle to watch the next faceoff.

It’s only after the training session is over that he realizes that Nat was right about one more thing: he stopped worrying about Bucky.

 

He goes back to the lab, in the afternoon. Sam's off doing who-knows-what, and Steve doesn't particularly feel like trying to hunt him down. Besides, now that he has nothing to do, that familiar ache is coming back and he wants to see Bucky.

Shuri's the only one in the building when he walks in. 'You kick everyone out?' Steve asks, glancing around at the deserted tables. 'Nah, lunch break,' she says. 'Besides, the initial scan is completed, we're just filling in the details and finer stuff now. They don't really need to be here.' Steve takes a moment to realize that the loud hum that dominated the place this morning has disappeared.  
'Don't you have other stuff to be doing?' he inquires. 'I thought a princess would have more important duties than watching a 99-year-old in a frozen tank.' Shuri gives him a withering look.  
'Dude, it's either sit here with all the cool science-y stuff, or go back to the palace and have my mother force me through etiquette lessons. This way, I can at least say I'm doing something for the country and not get bothered by anyone.' The teenager goes back to her diagnostic screen, closing the conversation.

He spends the rest of the day alone, wandering the streets. At some point he sees T'Challa walking the streets with a girl Steve assumes is Nakia, who he'd heard of but never seen. The two seem absorbed in their conversation, so he doesn't bother approaching. It's only until its dark that Steve realizes he's lost in Birnin Zana. Luckily, two boys direct him back to the palace.

He doesn't stop at the dining hall for dinner. It's so late that no one will be there, and Steve's too tired to talk to anyone. Sleep brings a welcome break from reality, and for once the nightmares pass him by.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Majda is the name of a Dora Milaje from one of my favorite Wakanda fics, 'show me why you're strong' by frontier. Yes, it's a Buckynat fic, but if you're okay with that then I highly recommend it: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7405174/chapters/16819366
> 
> If you want more of my Shuri, I suggest checking out my 'Science Bros 2.0' series, centered around Peter and Shuri: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1062917
> 
> While we're here, I'm gonna point you to 'Schrodinger's Romance' by TheStonedSoldier, my favorite Stucky fic and perhaps MCU fic of all time: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1897116/chapters/4089567
> 
>  
> 
> Comments and creative criticism are welcome. Thank you so much for reading!


	3. Caught In The Way You've Got Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What??? Two chapters in one morning? I stayed up til two am writing this, so if it's bad, I was sleep-deprived, ok?
> 
> Any mistakes are my own. Enjoy!

The second day gives Steve too much time to think.

After breakfast, he just goes to the lab and stays there. Shuri drops in a few times but leaves him alone, checking Bucky's vitals and the progress of the scan, then exiting again.

The machine still obscures most of the cryo tank, and Steve wishes it didn't. Even if Bucky isn't conscious right now he still provides Steve with a certain presence. Bucky was Steve's first friend, and the only one who will understand the life that they both lost.

Is friend the right term to call him by? Steve glances at the tank. Friend doesn't seem to cover it. Best friend doesn't either. They've saved each others lives time and time again, they've disobeyed their superiors for each other… friend seems too common a term. Brother would be closer, although somehow that still feels wrong. They're closer than that, most siblings don't really have the relationship that Steve and Bucky have at this point. What if it's… 

Steve pushes the thought away. It's venturing dangerously close to territory that he doesn't feel like dealing with right now. Natasha teases him enough about his love life.  
His thoughts drift to Peggy. If he had survived the crash in the ice, if he hadn't been so stupid as to not tell her his coordinates, maybe after the war they would have settled down together. Marriage. With the world he was thrust into, Steve can't even think of having a long-term relationship. It would have to be someone who understands what it's like to save the world.

He hasn't talked to Sharon for a while. Steve was too afraid to contact her at first, in case the government could track him through his cell. Was it weird to kiss his ex's niece? Steve wasn't even sure. The world was such a different place now, anything was probably possible. In hindsight, Steve realizes that he was probably drawn to her from loneliness. He had no one and she liked him. He cares for Sharon, definitely, but Steve wouldn't call it love. If Bucky had been there, Steve would've been more focused on him, helping Bucky get his life back together.

It's easy for Steve to admit that he loves Bucky. Whether as a friend or as a brother or… Steve stops himself again. It could never happen. No, it could. The world has changed so much that a lot of people wouldn't care if the two of them were a couple. But then again, no matter what everyone else thinks, Bucky would never feel that way. Steve slumps to the ground beside Bucky's tank. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Why didn't he even know how to feel about the only person left from his time?

He's snapped out of his reverie by movement in the corner of his eye. Shuri enters the lab, listening to music and doing something between a skip and a waltz. She scowls and pulls out her earbuds when she dances into a table. Steve looks up as Shuri winces, rubbing her hip.  
'Don't you dare laugh,' she warns, and the threat makes Steve do exactly just that. It feels good to let out some of the tension inside, to use his voice after not talking almost all day. The princess shakes her head and turns to the machine, face brightening after checking its status.

'Good news!' she tells him happily. 'The scan's pretty much done. Another hour, and we can wrap things up here. I'll move Barnes to my lab tonight, get him set up, and then I'll start studying the scans as soon as they're processed tomorrow.' The princess looks at him more closely.  
'Dude, why are you even still here? It's seven o' clock.' Steve looks at his watch. She's right, he's been here for ten hours. As a more urgent telling of the time, his stomach grumbles loudly.  
'Go get something to eat,' Shuri orders him. 'Your boyfriend will be fine.' He blinks at her use of the term. 'We'll be transporting him from here at around eight-thirty. You can be here if you want.' Steve hauls himself up from his position on the ground. 'GO!' The princess shoves him out the door.

 

All the runaways, plus T'Challa, are assembled in the dining hall when Steve arrives. Sam scoops him a heaping dish of steaming food as he takes a seat beside him. If this were an ordinary meal with the royal family, there would be palace staff dishing out the meals, but the king (correctly) deduced that the Avengers would rather have this time to themselves, so he sent them away. The only other people in the hall are the Dora Milaje standing sentry at each entrance.

'They're moving Bucky to Shuri's lab tonight,' he tells everyone. 'She'll start testing the brain scans in the morning. Wanda, do you want to come with me?' Steve locks eyes with the girl. He knows for a fact she's been in her room all day, and with her unique talents she might be able to help Shuri with Bucky's situation. Absently, Steve wonders if Wanda could just take the programming out of Bucky's head by herself, but she's been through a lot lately and he won't expect that much from her. 'Okay,' she says timidly, and returns his warm smile. Steve kind of sees Wanda as a sort of younger sibling, and he's made it his duty to look out for her.

 

Shuri's waiting impatiently by the lab door when Steve shows up, Wanda at his side. 'Are you ready? They're moving him out now.' Without waiting for any type of response, she turns and walks into the lab, leaving the two of them to trail behind.

There's a landing pad on the roof of the building. Two lab attendants detach Bucky's tank from its main stand, wheeling him vertically to an elevator. As the group of five wait for the doors to open, Wanda touches her hand to the wall of the tank, eyes briefly turning red as she accesses her power.  
'He's… dreaming,' she announces. She turns to Steve. 'He's dreaming of some memory with you two in Brooklyn. It's at some sort of fair.' He grins. It's probably that time when Bucky wasted all their food money to impress that girl. If Bucky were awake, he wouldn't be happy at Wanda for going into his head, but Steve's relieved to have some sort of update on Bucky, no matter how small.

Shuri's studying the two of them. 'How do you know what he's thinking? Are you psychic or something?' Something clicks in her brain. 'Oh my god, you're Wanda Maximoff.' The princess stares at the older girl in wonder. 'You're so cool!'  
'Thanks,' Wanda manages, and she's hiding a smile. Steve knows it's been a while since Wanda met someone new and they didn't call her a monster. She'll be holding onto that praise for a long time.

The Wakandan craft are even more advanced than the Quinjets the Avengers use, and Steve suspects that if Tony were here he'd spent countless days and nights trying to recreate it, too proud to ask anyone how the jet flies. The flight is smooth and silent, but it's really not a fair measure because the flight is only about a minute long to get to the other side of Birnin Zana. It touches down by the triangle structure Shuri pointed out to Steve yesterday. From there, it's to another elevator, then down a spiraling ramp that cuts its way through the center of the cavern that is Shuri's lab. When they reach the bottom, Shuri spreads out her arms and gestures proudly. 'Behold!'

The sight before Steve is breathtaking. Through the windows is the heart of Wakanda's vibranium mine, high speed trains and ramps crisscrossing the enormous cave of glistening blue mineral. The sight is truly special. Beside him, Wanda is taking pictures with her phone. Shuri grins at the looks of wonder on their faces. 

The two Wakandans wheel Bucky into a space on the other side of the lab. Clearly Shuri's prepared for this, there's a specific niche in the wall for the cryo tank and two tables of equipment. As she directs the lab workers, Steve takes a moment to look at the inventions the princess has been working on. A pair of smart black and purple shoes is labeled with a sticky note: 'Sneakers. Get it?'

'Back To The Future,' he remarks. Sam made him watch the film, insisting that 'it was an essential aspect of today's culture'. Across the lab, Shuri lights up. 'Hey, you got the reference!' She rounds on T'Challa, who's just come down the entrance ramp and now looks like a deer in headlights. 'Even Steve's watched Back To The Future, and he's old enough to be your ancestor!'

'Thanks,' Steve mutters. T'Challa rolls his eyes. 'Not all of us have the time to keep up with popular culture, Shuri.'  
'Says the person who can quote Star Wars line by line.' she retorts indignantly. T'Challa shoots Steve a look that says 'I give up', then walks away towards Bucky's corner. Shuri turns to find Wanda, who's studying her panther gauntlets with great interest.  
'Here, watch this,' the princess says, picking up one of the guns. She slides it onto her hand, then fires a bolt of blue energy. It bounces harmlessly off of the vibranium wall and disperses.  
'Can I try?' Wanda asks. As Shuri shows her how to hold the gauntlet, there's a loud exclamation from the other side of the lab.  
'What does 'Sad Broken White Boy' mean?!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, if you actually survived my sad and pitiful attempt at a confused crush, you deserve an award for bravery. Actually, if you chewed through all three of my horrible chapters you deserve an award for bravery. I've never really written romance before, so this will be an interesting ride. If you have any tips, please tell me in the comments.
> 
> I know it kinda ventured into crackfic towards the end, and I'm sorry. Weird funny shit is normally what I write, and this is my first (somewhat) serious multichapter fic. 
> 
> I know I'm neglecting a lot of great characters, and I'm mentally smacking myself in the face for it. I'm gonna try and incorporate them into future chapters.
> 
> If the chapters are a bit short, I'm working on lengthening them. I think this fic will get better as it goes.
> 
> Comments and creative criticism are welcome. Kudos don't hurt, either. I'll try to update as often as possible, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Heroes Always Get Remembered (And Misunderstood)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not that I have a lot to compare it to yet, but I consider this the best chapter so far.

Steve's day begins with Shuri pounding on his door. Sleepily, lets her inside and makes a beeline for the coffee machine. 'Why are you here? It's 5:30,' he grumbles, waiting impatiently for the Keurig to brew.  
'I'm heading to my lab, and I've got stuff to show you. Besides, Bucky's not located just down the street anymore,' Shuri points out.  
'How are you not tired?'  
'I'll sleep later, if I need to. I already made coffee earlier with Red Bull instead of water.' The princess laughs at Steve's disgusted face. 'Aw, come on, it's not that bad if you chug it quickly.' He shakes his head and turns back to his cup of normal coffee.

When the jet touches down at Shuri's lab on top of Mount Bashenga, Steve decides that getting woken up was worth it to see the sun rise over Birnin Zana. Here, the sun appears far larger than in New York, and it's a much warmer shade of orange-yellow.

Everything in the lab is silent, apart from the sound of Steve's own footsteps. Shuri goes to tinker with something on another table, but Steve makes his way to Bucky's station in the corner. Bucky's face seems a little more peaceful now, more like he's sleeping, contrasting the near grimace he bore on his first day in the tank. Something in Bucky's subconscious must be more accustomed to the tank, Steve guesses, but the thought saddens him a bit. With all the years Bucky spent with Hydra in cryostasis, it's natural that it wouldn't take that long a time to snap back to this state of being.

Steve takes his eyes away from Bucky's face, and instead focuses on the empty space dominating the  
right side of the tank. The place where Bucky's left arm would be isn't just a disability, it's a physical reminder, a metaphor for all the memories and potential life he could have had if not for that train.

Everyone's told him he has a bad habit of blaming things he had no control over on himself, and Steve knows that, but this is one thing he won't ever stop regretting. Letting Bucky go into danger, again and again, all those missions, knowing the risks and knowing that it might end badly one day. No matter how much he tells himself that the train and Bucky's fall wasn't entirely his fault, there's a part of him that will be screaming for the rest of eternity.

Of course, it's not like Steve could've done anything to make him stay behind. Bucky would go to the end of the world for him, and Steve knows that he would do the same. In fact, he has. Steve's defied the Sokovia Accords, rebelled against the will of a hundred nations to save Bucky. He's nearly killed Tony for hurting him. For all the hell that Steve's been through, he'd go through it again if it means keeping Bucky alive. What does that level of caring mean? What does it say about himself? he wonders.

'Hey!' Steve realizes he's been standing in front of the cryo tank for the last ten minutes, staring at Bucky while his thoughts drift into space. Focusing back on reality, he turns towards the voice. Shuri's beckoning him over from the other side of the floor. On the table in front of the princess is a long, narrow wooden case. She proudly opens it to show Steve a metal prosthetic.

The arm's shape and structure is almost identical to the limb Hydra fitted Bucky with, the material sculpted to simulate muscles. That's where the similarities end. The prosthetic is a dark, slate gray, with golden bands peeking out from behind the metal plates. There's no red star emblazoned on it, no symbol of Hydra anywhere.  
'It's made from vibranium,' Shuri informs him. 'None of Tony Stark's repulsors will ever break this one.' 

Steve appreciates her sentiment, but he's not sure that Bucky will really want it. The whole purpose of bringing him to Wakanda was to erase the remnants of Hydra's time, not bring them back. Bucky probably won't want a new prosthetic unless he absolutely needs it one day. Not knowing what else to say, and not wanting to hurt Shuri's feelings, Steve settles for a simple 'Thank you.'  
'You're welcome,' Shuri grins. 'But don't worry, I have something for you too.' She pulls out another box from underneath the table and passes it to him, letting Steve open it himself.

Inside is a variation of his trademark Captain America suit. This outfit is a darker, more subtle blue, the trimmings in shades of brown and not the bright red of his suit's previous versions. However, the white star is still proudly emblazoned on the chest, a glaring reminder of the persona Steve left behind, the mainstream facade of the hero he used to be. 

He reaches out to feel the fabric. It seems more durable than the other suits Steve's worn in the past, and he guesses that vibranium is probably woven into the material.  
'This will last much longer than your previous outfits,' Shuri assures him. 'And it looks much better. I mean, what is this?' She brings up a holographic image on her kimoyo beads, showing the suit Steve wore in the battle of New York, six years ago. The color scheme seems a bit garish on him, the blue too bright, and he recalls demanding a more understated costume as soon as he joined Shield. 

Steve closes the box. 'Thank you,' he tells Shuri, again. 'I used that shield for a long time, and the vibranium in it was stolen from your country. You didn't need to use any more of it on me.' The princess waves it away with a gesture of her hand. 'It's fine. Also, I can make you a new shield if you want, but I seem to recall you deliberately leaving it behind in Siberia. There was a reason for that, right?'

He's impressed at her intuition, but with the level of genius she's already shown, he shouldn't be surprised. Steve left Tony the shield because he decided he was unworthy of it. But there's one thing Shuri doesn't get yet: he didn't just leave his weapon behind that day, he left behind his title as well. There's no Captain America anymore, there's no hero. Just a man, a fugitive named Steve Rogers.

Of course, Shuri doesn't hear any of his thoughts, and continues on as if nothing happened. 'Okay! Now that that's out of the way, I'm gonna go look at the scans. You can leave the suit here for now and pick it up when you go.' Steve sets the box onto the table beside Bucky's new arm, and follows her back to the cryo tank. 

Shuri's rearranged the previously chaotic cluster of tables into some sort of organization: the desks now stand in a rectangle, leaving an open space in front of Bucky for her to analyze and work. Shuri picks up a tablet, taps out a few commands, and within seconds a gigantic hologram of a brain appears in the center of the cleared space. Several graphs pop up later, hovering in midair and displaying what Steve guesses are brain waves.

The princess turns to a computer and types for a few minutes. Then, one last holo bursts into existence. It's a list of Russian words, and even though Steve can't read the language he has an inkling of what they might be. His suspicions are confirmed as he hears Shuri muttering something in English:  
'Home. Longing. One. Freight car.' They're some of the command words used to activate Bucky's programming. Steve understands that they're are linked to whatever Hydra put into Bucky's mind, but he's still shocked when Shuri pulls out a red leather book with a star stamped into the cover.

All at once, too real memories of the last three years flash through Steve's mind. Nick Fury's attempted killing. The Helicarriers, raining death and destruction over Washington DC. Romania. Berlin. And most recently, the fight in Siberia. The fight where he ripped apart one of his oldest friendships since coming out of the ice. The fight where he left behind his title, the one he held for almost a century. The fight where he gave it all up for the Winter Soldier. For Bucky.

That book is what compelled him to commit hundreds of assassinations throughout seven decades. That book is what chained Bucky to Hydra as their slave. The book that Shuri is casually rifling through is filled with evil, and before Steve knows it he's knocked Shuri aside and now stands with the book in his hands, ready to rip it to pieces.

'I'm sorry, I didn't know the book would trigger you,' Even though Shuri is clearly terrified of him in this moment, she's still apologizing to Steve. 'Our forces recovered that book after the Berlin incident. I swear I just need it for reference. As soon as Bucky's healed I'm burning it.' She puts a hand on his arm. 'Hey, it's okay.' 

_No, it's not,_ Steve wants to tell her. _That book is dripping with blood and no one should be touching it._ Instead he mumbles an 'I'm sorry' and retreats.

Sam finds him later that afternoon, wandering the palace halls aimlessly. 'Hey man, you alright?' he asks, concerned. Steve recounts his morning to him as they slowly make their way outside.  
'Dude, I wanna see your new suit,' Sam says, 'but I think you might've overreacted just a little about the book.' Steve nods, numbly. The more he thinks about the incident, the more he realizes that yeah, being ready to rip up one of the few resources that could help Bucky is probably not his brightest moment. No matter what that book has done, for now, the past is past, and Shuri needs that book to heal Bucky for the future.

'I think I should just take some time to myself for a while,' he tells his friend. Sam claps him on the shoulder and leaves Steve to his thoughts, just outside the palace. Thinking about the morning and flashing back to Siberia, to everything he's done in the past, has revealed something to him that he needs time to process.

'I don't trust a guy without a dark side. Call me old fashioned.' Tony once said to him.  
'Let's just say you haven't seen it yet,' had been Steve's reply.  
Well, he just figured out what his dark side was.  
_Bucky._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If It seemed like a bit of a filler chapter, I'm sorry. I know we're all waiting for the part where these two idiots can actually talk to each other again.
> 
> Subscribing, comments and kudos would be much appreciated. I'll try to update as often as possible, but I'm afraid I can't guarantee anything.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	5. Numbers and Figures, Pulling the Puzzles Apart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, shorter chapter, but finally we're getting somewhere with this awful plot ;)
> 
> Also, guess the Coldplay song from the title.

It's been one week. 

A week since Bucky went back into cryostasis, a week since Steve once again lost the only person who's been with him since the start of the line.

Shuri's been working on a solution for about four days now, but there's been no major breakthrough yet. Steve still visits the lab every day, to see Bucky's face and check on any potential update, but the princess told him there's no reason for him to waste his time doing nothing while he waits, and so he doesn't remain for very long.

The last few days have given Steve time to settle into a sort of routine. Wake up, shower, eat breakfast. While Steve was wandering the palace after the incident with the book, he found a gym, so he goes there for a few hours after his first meal of the day. He spends the afternoon walking around Birnin Zana, getting to know the city. More often than not he's joined by Sam or Nat, and sometimes Wanda. 

He's worried about her. Wanda's been through too much, first everything in Sokovia, then the Accords incident, where the aftermath left her in a cell with a straitjacket and a shock collar. It was cruel and cowardly and if Steve ever gets the chance he'll punch Colonel Ross in the face, to hell with the consequences. Since arriving in Wakanda Wanda's spent most of her time by herself, usually in her room. Sometimes, walking by her door, it sounds like she's talking to someone, but Steve doesn't want to pry into what's left of her life.

Steve ruminates on all of this as he rains blows down onto a punching bag. After someone figured out that he was coming here they replaced all the usual bags with ones reinforced with vibranium. It stings more to hit these but at least Steve isn't breaking them all like he did at the gym in New York. The sound of echoing footsteps makes Steve look up. T'Challa strolls into the room, dressed in his usual black robe (for lack of better word).  
'Captain Rogers,' the king greets. 'Do you have a few moments to spare?'

Steve follows T'Challa out to a waiting jet.   
'Where are we going?'  
'There is something I would like to show you,' he replies quietly. 'Something for Sergeant Barnes.'  
After a minute the jet lands in a small village, surrounded by forest with a lake on one side. It's quiet here, with few people milling about the small collection of huts. The buildings, the tools and equipment scattered around are all far more rustic than Birnin Zana, more like ordinary towns in other parts of Africa. Steve finds it hard to believe that the most modern city in the world stands just kilometers from this little place.  
'We thought this would be a good location for Barnes to settle in,' T'Challa says. 'The outside world is too dangerous for him, and this is further away from the city centre. It is peaceful here, and more remote, should anyone try looking for him.' It's a perfect fit for Bucky, Steve thinks. The village is away from the hustle and bustle of the capital, and naturally if the world came for him they would expect Bucky to be in the most heavily guarded area.

A herd of goats walks up to Steve, sniffing at him with curiosity. T'Challa crouches down to pet one of them on the head.   
'This place is a farming community, so Barnes will have something to do here, at least,' the king looks up from the goat. 'He can go visit Birnin Zana, but- Ow!' The goat headbutts T'Challa in the side, demanding more petting.  
'Needy thing,' Steve notes. T'Challa gives him a wry smile. 'Wait until you see the rhinoceros.'  
'What?'

The king wasn't joking. After a quick tour of Bucky's future home, they visit another town, this one closer to the border and at a much higher elevation. As promised, there are several pens that each contain a full grown rhino. Steve stares in wonder at the gigantic mammal, which despite itsw large size is quite gentle, and gives T'Challa a friendly slime across the face with a rough gray tongue. He laughs, wiping the slobber off with his sleeve. 'I will never quite get used to it, but Okoye finds him endearing.' Steve finds it hard to imagine the stern faced general cuddling up to a rhinoceros, and clearly his face shows it. 'You just have to get to know her,' T'Challa says.   
'What's this guy's name?' Steve asks. T'Challa responds with a series of clicking noises in their native tongue, Xhosa. 'I don't expect you to understand that, but his name roughly translates to 'Charger'.

'My king?' says a voice. Steve turns to find a blue-robed man approaching the pair. He shakes T'Challa's hand, but studies Steve with a guarded expression. 'Steve, meet W'Kabi, one of the leaders of the border tribe,' the king says. 'W'Kabi, meet Captain Rogers.'  
Steve extends a hand to W'Kabi, and the other man shakes it but doesn't bother to smile. “Nice to meet you,' Steve tries for a greeting, but W'Kabi only gives a quick nod in response.  
The three might've stood there in awkward silence, who knows, but T'Challa's kimoyo beads emit a loud beep, opening up a live chat link. What appears to be black sand swirls into a hologram of Shuri.  
'Brother,' she says. 'Come to my lab. I have news on Barnes.' 

'Your friend seemed a bit.. cold,' Steve comments. T'Challa's face falls into a slight grimace. ' W'Kabi has always been wary of foreigners in general, but when N'Jadaka came to Wakanda, W'Kabi and the Border tribe sided with him. He fought against me and the Dora Milaje, and it was only Okoye threatening to kill him that made him stand down. Okoye is his wife,' he explains, seeing Steve's puzzled expression. 'He really should be in prison for defying the throne, but the elders couldn't come to a decision.'

Shuri is hard at work when the two of them enter the lab. She stands in the middle of the tables, surrounded by holograms of numbers and words. Occasionally, she highlights a few of them with a wave of her hand and inputs them into the computer.   
'Brother, Steve,' she greets, without stopping her work. 'I have great things to show you. Where have you been?'  
'We went to see the Border tribe,' T'Challa says. 'W'Kabi is clearly not happy about the Avengers coming here.' Shuri rolls her eyes.  
'That is so sad. Alexa, play Despacito.' She blinks at the twin confused expressions facing her. 'No? You don't get it? Okay…'

'Anyways, I might have found a successful method to heal Bucky.' Shuri gestures to the holos swirling around her. 'Hydra's programming is mostly connected to trigger words, so right now I'm building an algorithm to remove the conditioning, which will leave his memories intact.' She opens up the hologram of Bucky's brain, the one Steve saw several days ago. 'I've yet to test it, but I'm fairly confident this will work.' 

'How long will it take?' Steve doesn't mean to sound impatient, but time is taking its toll on him, and every day without Bucky still hurts.  
'First, I have to finish the algorithm. Testing it will take several days, and we have to monitor after to make sure there are no side effects.' Shuri doesn't sound offended, which relieves him. 'The actual removal may be done in two to three sessions, with a resting period in between. So, not more than two weeks, I guess, if all goes according to plan.'

_Two weeks_ , Steve tells himself. _Two weeks, that's all you have to do. Wait two weeks._   
'Thank you again for all of this,' he says to the royal siblings. 'For letting us stay in Wakanda, and for healing Bucky.' Both of them start to speak at the same time, until Shuri lets T'Challa talk first. 'It is nothing,' he insists. 'I tried to kill Barnes, and that was wrongful on my part. The least I can do for him is try to help. As for keeping the Avengers here, it doesn't hurt to have a few superheroes the next time enemies come knocking on your door.'  
Steve almost protests the king calling him a superhero, but Shuri saves him from talking. 'All right, let's do this!' she says, clapping her hands. 'Operation 'Save Broken White Boy' is a go!'

Steve and T'Challa both groan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments, kudos and creative criticism are all welcome.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! If you liked this fic, please comment, subscribe or leave kudos. You have no idea how much it means to me, to see that someone actually liked what I write. :)


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